Polishing pads and systems and methods of making and using the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to polishing pads which include a polishing layer, wherein the polishing layer includes a working surface and a second surface opposite the working surface. The working surface includes at least one of a plurality of precisely shaped pores and a plurality of precisely shaped asperities. The present disclosure further relates to a polishing system, the polishing system includes the preceding polishing pad and a polishing solution. The present disclosure relates to a method of polishing a substrate, the method of polishing including: providing a polishing pad according to any one of the previous polishing pads; providing a substrate, contacting the working surface of the polishing pad with the substrate surface, moving the polishing pad and the substrate relative to one another while maintaining contact between the working surface of the polishing pad and the substrate surface, wherein polishing is conducted in the presence of a polishing solution.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A polishing pad comprising a polishing layer having a working surface and a second surface opposite the working surface;
 wherein the working surface includes a land region and at least one of a plurality of precisely shaped pores and a plurality of precisely shaped asperities; 
 wherein the thickness of the land region is less than about 5 mm and the polishing layer comprises a polymer; and 
 wherein the polishing layer includes a plurality of nanometer-size topographical features on at least one of a surface of the precisely shaped asperities, a surface of the precisely shaped pores and a surface of the land region; and 
 wherein the polishing layer is a unitary polymeric sheet. 
 
     
     
       2. The polishing pad of  claim 1 , wherein the working surface includes a plurality of precisely shaped pores; and, optionally, wherein the depth of each of the plurality of precisely shaped pores is less than the thickness of a land region adjacent to each precisely shaped pore. 
     
     
       3. The polishing pad of  claim 1 , wherein the working surface includes a plurality of precisely shaped asperities. 
     
     
       4. The polishing pad of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of nanometer sized features include regular or irregularly shaped grooves, the grooves having a width of less than about 250 nm. 
     
     
       5. The polishing pad of  claim 1 , wherein the polishing layer is substantially free of inorganic abrasive particles. 
     
     
       6. The polishing pad of  claim 1 , wherein the polishing layer further comprises a plurality of independent or inter-connected macro-channels. 
     
     
       7. The polishing pad of  claim 1 , further comprising a subpad, wherein the subpad is adjacent to the second surface of the polishing layer. 
     
     
       8. The polishing pad of  claim 1 , further comprising a foam layer, wherein the foam layer is interposed between the second surface of the polishing layer and a subpad. 
     
     
       9. A polishing system comprising the polishing pad of  claim 1  and a polishing solution. 
     
     
       10. The polishing system of  claim 9 , wherein the polishing solution is a slurry. 
     
     
       11. The polishing system of  claim 9 , wherein the polishing layer contains less than 1% by volume inorganic abrasive particles. 
     
     
       12. A method of polishing a substrate, the method comprising:
 providing a polishing pad according to  claim 1 ; 
 providing a substrate; 
 contacting the working surface of the polishing pad with the substrate surface; 
 moving the polishing pad and the substrate relative to one another while maintaining contact between the working surface of the polishing pad and the substrate surface; and 
 wherein polishing is conducted in the presence of a polishing solution. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of polishing a substrate of  claim 12 , wherein the substrate is a semiconductor wafer. 
     
     
       14. The method of polishing a substrate of  claim 13 , wherein the semiconductor wafer surface in contact with the working surface of the polishing pad includes at least one of a dielectric material and an electrically conductive material. 
     
     
       15. A polishing pad comprising a polishing layer having a working surface and a second surface opposite the working surface;
 wherein the working surface includes a land region and at least one of a plurality of precisely shaped pores and a plurality of precisely shaped asperities; 
 wherein the thickness of the land region is less than about 5 mm and the polishing layer comprises a polymer; and 
 wherein the working surface comprises a secondary surface layer and a bulk layer; and wherein at least one of a receding contact angle and advancing contact angle of the secondary surface layer is at least about 20° less than a corresponding receding contact angle or advancing contact angle of the bulk layer; and 
 wherein the polishing layer is a unitary polymeric sheet. 
 
     
     
       16. The polishing pad of  claim 15 , wherein the working surface includes a plurality of precisely shaped pores; and, optionally, wherein the depth of the plurality of precisely shaped pores is less than the thickness of the land region adjacent to each precisely shaped pore. 
     
     
       17. The polishing pad of  claim 15 , wherein the working surface includes a plurality of precisely shaped asperities. 
     
     
       18. The polishing pad of  claim 15 , wherein the chemical composition in at least a portion of the secondary surface layer differs from the chemical composition within the bulk layer; and wherein the chemical composition in at least a portion of the secondary surface layer, which differs from the chemical composition within the bulk layer, includes silicon. 
     
     
       19. The polishing pad of  claim 15 , wherein the polishing layer is substantially free of inorganic abrasive particles. 
     
     
       20. The polishing pad of  claim 15 , wherein the polishing layer further comprises a plurality of independent or inter-connected macro-channels. 
     
     
       21. The polishing pad of  claim 15 , further comprising a subpad, wherein the subpad is adjacent to the second surface of the polishing layer. 
     
     
       22. The polishing pad of  claim 21 , further comprising a foam layer, wherein the foam layer is interposed between the second surface of the polishing layer and the subpad. 
     
     
       23. A polishing pad comprising a polishing layer having a working surface and a second surface opposite the working surface;
 wherein the working surface includes a land region and at least one of a plurality of precisely shaped pores and a plurality of precisely shaped asperities; 
 wherein the thickness of the land region is less than about 5 mm and the polishing layer comprises a polymer; and 
 wherein the working surface comprises a secondary surface layer and a bulk layer; and wherein a receding contact angle of the working surface is less than about 50°; and 
 wherein the polishing layer is a unitary polymeric sheet. 
 
     
     
       24. The polishing pad of  claim 23 , wherein the working surface includes a plurality of precisely shaped pores; and, optionally, wherein the depth of the plurality of precisely shaped pores is less than the thickness of the land region adjacent to each precisely shaped pore. 
     
     
       25. The polishing pad of  claim 23 , wherein the working surface includes a plurality of precisely shaped asperities. 
     
     
       26. The polishing pad of  claim 23 , wherein the receding contact angle of the working surface is less than about 30°. 
     
     
       27. The polishing pad of  claim 23 , wherein the polishing layer is substantially free of inorganic abrasive particles. 
     
     
       28. The polishing pad of  claim 23 , wherein the polishing layer further comprises a plurality of independent or inter-connected macro-channels. 
     
     
       29. The polishing pad of  claim 23 , further comprising a subpad, wherein the subpad is adjacent to the second surface of the polishing layer. 
     
     
       30. The polishing pad of  claim 29 , further comprising a foam layer, wherein the foam layer is interposed between the second surface of the polishing layer and the subpad.